Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One method that may be employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the upgrade or promotion of symbols that appear on a display and awarding awards associated with the upgraded symbols. The present invention is directed to a gaming system that upgrades symbols on a display and awards an award associated with the upgraded symbols.